Automatic frogless railroad-switch.



J. A. MOORE.

AUTOMATIC FROGLESS RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1909.

934,086. Patented Sep't.14,1909.

ZISHEETS-SHEET 1.

ANDREW. s. cmNAM c0. Pum'o-umoammins. WASHINGTON u. c,

J. A. MOORE. AUTOMATIC FROGLESS RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1909.

934,086, Patented Sept.14.1909.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'n oonto I %M LU v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC FROGLESS RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Application filed January 30, 1909.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ANDERSON Moonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Idabel, in the county of McGurtain and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Frogless Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in railway switches and its object is to provide a simple and practical device of this character which will prevent split switches, eliminate the necessity for frogs and also to reduce the number of rails necessary in switches now in general use.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a main line and a siding showing the application of my improved switch thereto, the switch being in its closed position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the switch in its open position; and Figs. 3, 4 and are detail vertical sections taken, respectively, on the planes indicated by the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 55 in Fig. 1.

In the drawings 1 denotes the track rails of the main line and 2 the rails of the siding. My improved switch consists of three movable switch points or rails 3, 4, 5. The switch rail 3 is pivoted at its center on a vertical pivot 6 and is movable so that it may form a part of either the main line 1, as shown in Fig. 1, or the siding 2, as shown in Fig. 2. Any suitable means may be provided for mounting the switch rail 3, but, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the pivot 6 depends from the center of a plate 7, the ends of which are bent up around the base flanges and web portions of the rail 3, as shown at 8, and secured by bolts 9 or similar transverse fastenings. The pivot stud 6 is rotatable in a metal bearing plate 10 of inverted U-shape secured, as shown at 11, to a suitable base 12 which may be a cross tie or any other suitable support. A nut 13 upon the threaded lower end of the pivot 6 retains the latter in its bearing opening in the plate 10. The other two movable switch points 4, 5 are at the ends of the siding rails 2 and are movable toward and from the track rails 1. Said switch points 4, 5 are suitably Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 475,177.

pivoted at one of their ends, as shown at 14, and their free ends are formed with laterally projecting lips 15 which are adapted to overlap the rails 1, 2, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby enabling the car wheels to readily pass from the main track rails 1 onto the switch points 4, 5. Said lips have thin beveled edges so that the wheels will easily ride up over them and be lifted so that their flanges will pass the free extremities of the switch points 4, The switch points 4, 5 are connected together for simultaneous operation by means of a transversely extending bar 16 slidably arranged in guides 17, as shown in Fig. 3. Said slidable bar 16 is connected to the switch points by means of clips 18, which latter are in turn connected to depending lugs 19 upon the bases of the switch points. One end of the bar 16 is connected by a link or rod 20 to a crank portion 21 of a shaft 22. This shaft is arranged longitudinally of and parallel with the main line 1 and is mounted in suitable bearings 23. It is also provided at points opposite the switch rail 3 with oppositely projecting crank portions 24, 25, which latter are connected by links or rods 26 to slide bars 28. These slide bars are mounted in guides 29 and are connected, as shown at 30, to the switch rail 3 adjacent its ends. The lever 31 of an ordinary switch stand is fixed to one end of the crank shaft 22 for the purpose of rocking it and thereby simultaneously throwing the three switch rails or points 3, 4, 5.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by operating the lever 31 the switch may be either opened or closed to control the siding 2 and that the peculiar arrangement of the switch points dispenses with the need of frogs, guard rails and reduces the number of rails necessary for ordinary switches and also effectively prevents split switches.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, arangement and construction of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination of the rails of a main line and a siding, the switch rail 3 adapted to form a portion of either the main line or the siding, a pivot bearing on which said switch rail is mounted, the switch points 4,

Patented Sept. 14, 1909.

5 pivoted at their inner ends to the rails of the siding and having at their free ends the lips 15 to overlap the rails of the main line, guides, a transverse bar slidable in said guides, lugs depending from the switch points, clips connecting said lugs to said transverse bar, a longitudinal shaft having a plurality of cranks, link connections between the cranks of said shaft and said transverse sliding bar and the ends of said pivoted switch rail and means for rocking said shaft.

2.. The combination of cross ties, the rails of a main line and siding thereon, a switch rail adapted to, form a portion of either the main line or the siding, an inverted U- shaped bearing bracket having its arched central portion formed with a vertical opening and its apertured ends securedto one of the ties, a pivot carrying plate extending under'the switch rail and around the oppo site sides of the same and secured to its Web portion, said plate being formed upon the center of its bottom with a depending pivot stud adapted to enter and rotate in 5 the opening in the arched central portion of said bracket, a retaining nut screwed upon the depending threaded end of said pivot and'lneans for Shifting said switch rail.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my 5 signature in the presence of two. witnesses,

H. A. SMITH, H. Sm-WART. 

